Refuse-disposal apparatus.



H. T. TOWNSHEND,

REFUSE DISPOSAL APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 11111.30, 1911.

1,071,535, 1 a11 111e111-1u ..26,1913.

w/ T/VESSESI VE/V T01? HELEN 7. TOWNSf/E/Vo i 7 r 6 770 fP/wsys '1. TOWNSHEND, OF BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

REFUSE-DISPOSAL APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters ratent.

Patented Aug. 26, 1913.

Application filed larch 30, 1911. Seriatlio. 617,894.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HELEN T. TOWNSH'END, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Berkeley, .in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Refuse-Disposal Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to refuse disposal apparatus and more particularly to chutes which are arranged in or on the exterior of buildings and through which. the refuse is conveyed. The object of the invention is to provide means for use in flats, apartment houses and other locations, for conveying the refuse and ashes to arecaptacle in the basement or other convenient location from which they may be removed without inconvenience to the persons in the house.-

Another object of the invention is to pro vide means in such chute for preventing the odors from the storage receptacle rising in:

the chute and contaminating the air in the dwelling.

With these and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, size and minor details of the struc-- ture may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of theinvention.

. Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a terior of the building, the upper part of the chute entering through the wall and op'euing into the interior of the building, the up per part of the chute being shown partly 1n section. The drawin is also broken away to reduce the size of t e figure. Fig. 2 is a front view of the upper end of the chute, showing gate controlled opening. Fig. 3 is a view partly in section of the lower end of the chute, showing the valve partly open to allow the refuse to be discharged into the storage receptacle. Fig. 4 is a View,

partly in section, of a modification of the receiving end of the chute, when the chute is arranged within the building.

The apparatus consists of a chute 2 arranged to be supported either within the building'or exterior thereto. The upper end of the chute opens preferably into the kitchen of the house and the lower end of the chute bears in a can or storage receptacle 3, whichmay be located at any convenient place, where it is easy of access to the person who removes the refuse.

In Fig. 1 I haveshown the chute 2 arranged on the exterior of the building and provided on the upper end with a mouth l passing through the wall 5 and opening into the building. The chamber 6 forming the mouth 4 extends horizontally through the 'wall 5, but where the chute is arranged within the building this receptacle may consist of a fiiaring mouth set directly on top of the chute.

The opening between the chamber ti and the chute 2 is controlled by the gate 7 which slides in the guides 8. A handle 9 provides means for raising and lowering the gate 7 as desired. When the gate is raised it abuts against the upper face of the chamber 6, securely closing the chute 2'at the upper end, and preventing any odors from entering the apartment.

The opening in the lower end of the chute 2 is controlled by the valve 12 which is hinged to a pin 13, so that it may be swung downward and out of the path of the material descending through the chute. The pin 13 is supported by the brackets 14 whlch are attachedto the chute. The yalve 12 is normally held in the closed position against thebottom of the chute by means of a spring 15 which is coiled around the pin 13 and bears against the under side of the valve. view of the apparatus arranged on the ex- The valve is depressed to open the chute by means of the movement of the rod 16 which extends upward parallel to the chute and is attached to the gate 7 at the upper end thereof. A downward movement of the gate therefore causes a downward movement of the valve and the material placed in the chute has a free passage to the receptacle 3, when the gate is raised the valve is closed by the action of the spring.

The rod 16 is guided by the clips or hands 17 which support the chute. At the lower end the rod 16 is guided by the brackets 14 and the guide piece 18 so that it is always in a position to operate the valve. When the valve is closed the descending rod first contacts with the tongue 19, which connects the valve and the pin 13, and slides from there onto the valve as the valve is depressed.

The cover 21 of-the receptacle 31s rovided with a chamber 22- eccentricall; p aced, in

which the valve operating mechanism is located. It is evident that by oil-setting the entrance of the chute into the receptacle a larger receptacle can be used without spacing the chute apart from the wall for any considerable distance. The cover is also provided with a neck 23 which fits the chute closely, except at that part 24: through which the rod 16 passes. The neck 23 is slid-able on the chute so that the cover may be raised to remove the receptacle 3, when it is to beeniptied.

When the chute is arranged within the buildingand the side opening chamber 6 is replaced by the flaring vertical opening, the gate 7 is arranged horizontally across the chute. l/Vhen it is desired, the chute may be provided with a plurality of openings at the upper end, which may be placed in the different parts of the building, so that the refuse of several families may be deposited in one receptacle. This arrangement is particularly adapt-able for use in apartment houses where the kitchens of the two apartments are adjacent.

I claim:

1. A. refuse disposal apparatus com rising a chute, a receptacle below said (2 ute, a valve pivoted externally of said chute at the bottom adapted to close the lower end of the chute, a spring engaging said valve and adapted to hold it in the closed position, a gate controlling the opening at the upper end of said chute, and a rod attached to said gate and extending downwardly into contact with said valve adapted to swing the valve downward as the gate is depressed.

2. A refuse disposal apparatus comprising a chute, a receptacle below said chute, an outwardly projecting bracket on the lower end of said chute, a valve pivoted to said bracket adapted to control the lower opening of said chute, a-spring engaging said bracket and said valve adapted to normally hold the valve in the closed position, a gate controlling the opening at the upper end of said chute, and means for depressingthe valve as the gate is depressed.

HELEN T. TOWNSHE.

\Vitnesses:

H. D. IRWIN, VIOLA G. SMITH. 

